Tony Frank Giordano

Tony F. Giordano
April 6, 1921 - October 14, 2011

Tony F. Giordano, 90, long time Gresham, Oregon resident, died Friday, October 14, at Sunnyside Medical Center of complications for congestive heart failure.

Tony was born April 6, 1921, in Camden, New Jersey, to the late Salvatore and Concetta Giordano, one of seven children, including Joseph, John, Phillip, Josephine, Salvatore and Jean.

After high school graduation, Tony spent three years in art school before enlisting in the United States Marine Corps in 1942. He served in the Pacific on Samoa, Guadalcanal, Eniwetok and Kwajalein (Marshall Islands). Tony ended his World War II service as a Sergeant in Klamath Falls, Oregon, where he met his first wife, Jean Edmunds, at the local USO. He served during the Korean Conflict stateside.

Tony Married Jean in 1946, in Portland, raising two daughters with her before their divorce in 1964. He worked at First National Bank in the early 1950's and tried his hand at acting in two bank promotional productions. He then was hired by the U.S. Postal Service, and worked at the downtown Portland main branch for 29 years until his retirement in the mid-1980's, serving the last several years as Artist Illustrator. A highlight of his post office career was receiving, in 1983, the national award for creating the best design for a savings bond poster, and being flown to Washington, D.C. for the presentation. During this period he also developed his own business - "Tony's Signs" - furnishing all of East Multnomah County for years with paper grocery store banners, gold-leaf office door lettering, advertising on trucks and vans, and holiday window illustrations. From 1958-1964, he volunteered with Jean as youth sponsor at the Unity Center Church in Portland, a life changing experience he reminisced about the rest of his life.

In 1963, Tony began his acting career at Portland Civic Theater, playing supporting roles until his first lead as "Paul" in Carnival, in 1967. Also in 1967, Tony married Patricia Miles, a theater associate, in Welches, Oregon. Their son was born in 1970. They divorced in 1972.

For the next twenty years, Tony won a series of lead roles in over 40 shows at the Civic, Lake Oswego Community Theater and Sylvia's Class Act Dinner Theater, doing three to four shows per year. His acting covered everything from straight comedy to heavy drama. Among his favorite shows were, Streetcar Named Desire, Wait Until Dark, Fiddler on the Roof, On Golden Pond, The Gin Game, Look Homeward Angel, The Odd Couple, Guys and Dolls, and The Pajama Game. Tony called himself a director's actor, saying "I do what they tell me to do....Young kids have to learn one thing: Don't question the director."

During the 1970's and continuing into the new millennium, Tony was a regular on the night club circuit, which became his favorite hobby. He had done some singing with Marine Corps bands in his youth, but said his voice did not mature until his forties. In addition to theater and singing, Tony made several in-house training films for companies like Tektronix and Georgia Pacific. In 1982, he was the wacky guy in the "Blitz Blazer Booster" Poster. In 1988, he was the face of the Regency Park Living Center print ad and television commercial.

Also in 1988, Tony married fellow actor and dancer Dotty Fields, in Portland. They were divorced a year later, but both said they "promised to always love each other."

In retirement, pastimes included gardening, restoring old cars, freelance sign painting, reading, solving crosswords puzzles, furniture building (including childrens' personalized stepstools - all his great-grandchildren have one). "And believe it or not, sewing," he said in an interview. "I am a whiz with a sewing machine." Tony was an ardent supporter of the U.S. Marine Corps and veterans in general, as well as Native American charities.

Tony is survived by his three children: Jean Elyse Gilbert (Jeff), of Vancouver, Washington; Marie Louise Brain (Gary), of Sumer Lake, Oregon; and Scott A.K Giordano of Gresham, Oregon. His Grandchildren are G. Marie Roach (John) of Helena, Montana; Tad J. Nemes (Laurie) of Vancouver, Washington; Jacob A. Brain (Heather) of Yachats, Oregon; Kristopher R. Giordano of Kenai, Alaska; and Skylar N. Giordano of Sandy, Oregon. His Great Grandchildren include Lauren and Ben Roach, of Helena, Montana; Trinity and Dartanyon Brain, of Yachats, Oregon; and Kaitlynn Nemes, of Vancouver, Washington. His New Jersey family includes siblings Salvatore Giordano, of West Berlin, New Jersey, and Jean Colligon (Al), of Atco, New Jersey, and niece, Rosann Kureczko (Stan), of Atco, New Jersey.

A Celebration of Life Memorial Service will be held at 2:00 p.m., Thursday, October 27, at Gateway Little Chapel of the Chimes, 1515 NE 106th Avenue, in Portland. The Reverend Richard Everts of Portland's Unity Center will officiate. For more information, please call Gateway Little Chapel of the Chimes at 503-25-0606.

The Family requests donations be made to Portland Veterans Administration Medical Center, 3710 SW U.S. Veterans Hospital Road, PVOL, Portland, Oregon 97239. Please write on the check's memo line, In memory of Tony F. Giordano.

Gateway Little Chapel of the Chimes has the honor of directing arrangements for the Giordano Family;.